In a new report about Eddie Alvarez’s impending free-agency, MMAFighting.com got Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney to share details of a similar situation in which his promotion got into a bidding war with the UFC. It happened six months ago with their former middleweight champ Hector Lombard, and in that case, it didn’t exactly work out for either party:

Lombard hit the open market, where he was immediately offered a lucrative deal with the UFC. Rebney said that contract, which according to him paid Lombard a $400,000 signing bonus, a $300,000 starting purse per fight and pay-per-view participation points, was cost-prohibitive from Bellator’s standpoint.

If the UFC came in with a similar offer for Alvarez, who is considered by most observers to be right around the top five lightweights in the world, it is believed that would make him the highest-paid 155-pounder in the UFC. On the other hand, Lombard’s debut in the UFC was considered a disappointment, as he lost a lackluster split-decision to Tim Boetsch. That development could cause the UFC to reconsider a big-money offer for another free agent.

“Disappointment” is an understatement. Part of the thoroughly-cursedUFC 149 main card, Hector Lombard vs. Tim Boetsch was supposed to be a guaranteed slugfest, and a possible coming-out party for Lombard in the UFC. Between Lombard’s superhuman knockout power and Boetsch’s never-say-die grittiness, what could possibly go wrong? As it turned out, both fighters spent long stretches of the match just staring at each other, unwilling to commit. Boetsch ultimately claimed a split-decision victory — playing the spoiler role once again — but since the fight came directly after two main card bouts that were just as terrible (James Head vs. Brian Ebersole and Cheick Kongo vs. Shawn Jordan), it was a frustrating moment for almost everyone in the building.

After the fight, Lombard blamed his uncharacteristically dull performance on a sternum injury, but the damage to his reputation had already been done. A hyped-up champion from Bellator stepped into the Octagon and completely crashed-and-burned — and it cost the UFC more than $700,000 to make it happen. And as MMAFighting.com points out, that doesn’t bode well for Eddie Alvarez’s chances of getting a big-money offer from the UFC. (Fool me once, etc.)

Cagepotato Comments

Showing 1-25 of comments

Look have any of u weenies ever even fought b4. This fool won 18 fights in a row. Your all idiots if u think his loss to boetch wasnt a bullshit fight look at him he obv hurt. Hes literally destroyed every1 in his path then hes hurt one fight in the last 4 years n u all crusify him. All fighters with his record should be paid more than he did. Oh wait there at the time wasnt a fighter in the whole fuckin world with his record so yaaaa... And if u mention jimmo ill laugh

tooleey- November 21, 2012 at 12:18 pm

On Lombard: Losing is acceptable for any fighter but NOT EVEN APPEAR TO BE TRYING should not be acceptable and should be grounds for a stiff fine. He looked like he was scared shitless to even throw a punch.

Cestus84- November 1, 2012 at 12:45 am

@ mma4ever

" Eddie a is gonna be a dud ". Not too long ago, everyone and their moms said the same about WEC LWs. Who's the current UFC LW champ again¿ Give this guy a chance to prove himself should he come to the UFC. Give him a fight or two, then call him what you'd like. Besides, known or not, Michael Chandler is a basically a Gray Maynard clone, who 3 LW title fights ago was challenging for the title. He did to Eddie what Gray couldn't do to Frankie. All I'm saying to don't be too quick to disregard Chandlers talent.

algiersheadkick504- October 31, 2012 at 7:26 am

this sport is ridiculous...one bad performance and the whole world shits on yu...but the ufc has done worse with money paying chuck liddell to have peoples hands break in his face

mma4ever- October 30, 2012 at 1:42 pm

Eddie a is gonna be a dud also he gets dropped by mediocre fighters all the time stay in bellator and be a champ of chumps or come test ur chin with some real killers

Pen Fifteen- October 30, 2012 at 12:15 pm

Lombard also got a huge payday because he was in the right weight class at the right time. If he'd had a good showing against Boetsch, it would have been easy for the UFC to market him as a viable contender for Anderson Silva, a guy who can move serious PPV numbers. And shit, does Alvarez think people have forgotten him getting creamed by a guy no one had ever heard of two fights ago?

macreadysshack- October 30, 2012 at 9:33 am

Damn, lots of UFC fights after a loss are 'sink or swim'. Putting Lombard in with Paul Harris ... Better not go in there with a bruised vagina, Hector. You might need to use a cane for the rest of your life.

ksgbobo- October 30, 2012 at 8:27 am

lol @ el Taco Frito

ksgbobo- October 30, 2012 at 8:25 am

Boofreakinghoo...the UFC took a gamble, and it didn't work out for them right off the bat. He is fighting again, and we can then say if he was a bust or not. I was expecting an ass whooping from him when he fought Boestch, but like everyone else, I was disappointed.